Wrench



WRENCH H. J. M. HOWARD Filed May 16, 1925 l gn/vento@ enryJMjowar l 1r www April 16, 1929.

`with extreme quickness.

Patented ftpr. 16, 1929.

i Unirse STA Tas PATENT orrice.

HENRY J. IVI. HOWAED, OE Vif.,AASlHINGrTON, DISTRICT COLUMBIA.

WRENCH.

`Application filed May 16, 1925. Serial No. 30,669.

rlhis invention relates to Wrenches in general and has for its principal object the provision of a wrench particularly applicable ifor use With lire prevention apparatus.

At the present time the use of lire hose cabinets is greatly increasing: In such de-Y y Att-er being used he hose should be dried before being returned to the rack, this usually necessitating the removal of the coupling from the pipe nipple. And there are naturally other times When it is necessary to couple or uncouple this litting, e. g., when the metropolitan lire department desires to use their larger standard-hose. 1When there is no raclr or cabinet there is little diiiiculty in. unscrewimo; the coupling but in the l restricted space Within the cabinet it is very dii'licult to get at the tvvo diametrically opposed lugs on the ring of the coupling and i'or this reason it has been proposed to increase the size ci the cabinet or to have one side hinged. lioth oi these are highly disadvantag tous and l have therefore provided a special. Wrench making it possible to use the standard littings and to use a rack iitting the pipe rather closely.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view ont the Wrench.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a rack with the top removed showing the method ot use of the Wrench. i y' Referring particularly to Figure 3, 10 is a Wall to which is ailixed a cabinet 11, enclosing the gate valve (removed ttor clearness olf illustration) and the usual rack supporting nipple, shown in cross section at l2. The rotating ring l5 oi the coupler which is detachably secured to the nipple l2, has integral, cylindrical, diametrically disposed lugs 16 by means oit which the `hose 17 supported in the raclr 1S is disconnected trom the nipple 12. i

rlhe raclr 18 is ol' well-known type being swiveled on the nipple l2 so that it can turn freely. lllie coupling end oi: the hose 17 is nearest the nipple 12 and the nozzle 20 of this local fire hose is at the free end ot the the hose coupling.

rack, convenient oi access as the rack is swung about its pivot on the nipple.

Referring new particularly to Figure l, the Wrench consists oi a fairly long bar 22 serving as handle to both ends. On the one end as 23, I prefer to provide projections 2l and 25'having their outer ends rounded and `their `inner ends curved, each cooperating With a triangular Iabutment 2G or 27, respectively, to grip between the projection and the abutment the rim orother portion ol a valve hand-Wheel or disk so that the Wrench may be used as a lever in opening or closing a valvehaving a hand-Wheel.

. The other end of the Wrench, the one we are particularly concerned with in this application, consists of an arcuate arm having its concave sur-facefl truly eylindrical and oit such size and shape as to lit snugly the lugged ring of a hose coupling.

The convex surface 32 follows generally the same curve and merges with the bar-like handles 22 by means of a ilet 33. The arm 30 is provided with plurality of openings 34.', 35 and 36, the first ot' these being preierz bly at right angles to the axis of the bar or handle 22, the hole 36 being almost parallel to the length of the handle 22, and therefore in the handle portion itself, the mid-holo 35 being substantially between the other tivo, and all three being cylindrical and of such size as to receive Without undue lost motion one ot the lugs ott the ring ci It Will be seen from Figure l that the three openings 34:, 35, and 36 are radial, that is, if their axes are eX- tended they` would meet in a point Which point would be the center of the inner are oi? the arm.

The operation of the device can best be understood from an inspection. of Figure 3. lt will be noted that the space available `for manipulation olf the Wrench is very limited as the rack is above and the folds oli' the hose limit the movement toward the wall even when pushed baclr as tar as it `will go and the Wall ll oiA the cabinet limits movement ot the free end of the Wrench in the opposite direction. No matter Where the two lugs 16 are, however, one or the other of them canalways be reached by the hole B4, for example, as indicated in the ligure. Turning the Wrench clockwise as 4viewed 1n this ligure We strike the edge of the Wall 1l upon angular movement of about lll() 30 and in so doing We have moved the opposite lzug 16 `tot point where it cannot he reached and We have come to a point Where the hole 34 can no longer be utilized. We muy, howevenremove the Wrench and catch the saine lug 16 in one"or the other of the holes 35 or 36 yWhichever is most convenient and we may again turn the ring thru a sniall angle and it' necessary we may make a third and fourth turn; generally, however, three turns are ample to loosen the ring to an extent where the: ring caribe twirled by hand. In'securing the hose back into place after it is dry' the coupling is rst turned by hand as far asit Will go and then by a few turns o'f the wrench as just described it can be v jmade perfectly snug, kthis-not ybeing, possible 1 withnny Wrench wherefthe span between the holes is zipproXini-ately'a straight angle. If the .holes were on opposite sides of the han ydle the purchase upon the ring would hardly kbe great 'enough bo kallow the proper manipulation of the-tool kbut by having duree holes all located to oneside and 'by having' the arcuate portion short, not over 120, for exv nmple, a very coa'iveniesrt operation of the .coupling `is 'made possible.

rWhat Iclaimfis't- Yed to hear against the ring an 1. In a. wrench for operating the rotating ring of n fire hose coupler encased 'l1 a cabinet, a handle having an osetdportion ada thavin a urality of holes therein to receive t e liigs of the ring, one of said holes having its axis at an angle to the handle of less than a second hole having its axis spaced from the axis of the front or nearer hole by less thun 450 and u third and most distant hole having its axis at less than 100 fnon the axis of the first hole.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the :ingle between the handle and the axis of the most dista-nt hole is less than 100 and all three of the holes lie on the same side of the handle.

3. In a pipe wrench for use with fine prevention apparatus, an uncunte bar having three lugr receiving holes therein within un angle of 900, and having an integral hmdle making a slight Vanglo with one of slid holes so that said hole may be cunsidrul as in the handle portion.

In testimony whereof I alix my signture.

H. J. M. HOWARD. 

